


The Great Defender

by TheBibliophile2718 (LoveReading314)



Category: RWBY, Smallville, Superman - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure, Aliens, Coming of Age, Crossover, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Dimension Travel, Fantasy, Gen, Growth, Kryptonians, Multiverse, Personal Growth, Science Fiction, Superheroes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-18 18:16:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29737905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveReading314/pseuds/TheBibliophile2718
Summary: Smallville seems like an ordinary Kansas town, except for the people gaining strange powers from radioactive meteorites, hostile aliens, witches, and more. Thankfully, all these threats have been secretly defeated by Clark Kent, a powerful alien from the planet Krypton who was raised on Earth. Now, after arriving on Remnant, he must battle the evils of both this world and his own.
Relationships: Clark Kent/Velvet Scarlatina, Jaune Arc/Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren/Nora Valkyrie
Kudos: 3





	1. Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> Much thanks to Maldevinine and Will S. LaVi for their beta-reading services. Any mistakes are my fault and not theirs.

Cover:

* * *

Smallville, Kansas was over four-hundred miles from Pickettstown, Colorado. Clark ran that distance in a few minutes. Once he arrived at the outskirts of the town, he took out his phone and called his best friend.

"I'm here," he said. "It's quiet."

"Even to your ears?" asked Chloe on the other end.

"Yeah." Even in a small town like this, he should normally be able to hear cars honking or people talking. It was silent, although not in a way that it had been before Clark's incredible hearing had developed. There were still sounds like the wind, running water, or wild animals, but no people.

"You see any clues?" She asked, and he started walking around to investigate.

"Checking for them now." He scanned the buildings with X-ray vision and was greeted by the sight he'd feared most. Each house was littered with corpses, days old at most. The majority of them had holes in their bodies, the wounds shaped like something had burst out of them.

Clark shut his eyes at the sight of a child's corpse, too mangled to distinguish any features. What stood out more was that it lacked an exit wound like the others. Instead, beside him was the body of a dead woman. She had a wide tear in her abdomen.

Clark's imagination filled in the blanks. The phantom must have possessed the woman and killed her child. Why? Sick pleasure? Instinct?

Did it even matter? This phantom had been locked up in the Phantom Zone for a reason. Only the worst criminals in Krypton's history had been imprisoned there, and even after becoming a practically formless phantom, this one had killed dozens of people.

They must have been frightened and confused. Nobody could have expected an alien to possess them and go into a rampage. Not even Clark.

"Hey . . . you alright?" Chloe's question brought Clark out of his morbid thoughts.

"It's bad," he answered. "So many people . . . if I hadn't-

"Stop it Clark." She took a commanding tone. "This _isn't_ your fault. Blame Zod or Brainiac. _Not_ yourself."

"Right. Right," he replied, although he couldn't muster the confidence that she had in him. The only reason the phantoms had found their way to Earth was because they'd followed him during his own escape from the Zone. If he'd been careful, if he hadn't fallen into Brainiac's trap, then these people would still be alive.

No. Stop it. Right now, he had to focus. Clark steeled himself and searched the town with his keen vision. It wasn't likely that the phantom would stay here for long before moving on to another town, but there was still a chance it was still present.

On the opposite side of the town, a dark figure floated above.

"I see it! I'll call you back later." He hung up and quietly sped between the buildings to approach it while keeping out of sight. The creature looked exactly like the phantoms Clark had encountered in the Zone, a shadowy shape that had a head and arms, but no legs. Just indistinct mass below, like a black curtain made of fog.

_Be careful my son, the phantoms are dangerous. They pose a threat even to you._

Jor-El's warning for dealing with them was clear, and Clark scowled at the voice in his head. Intrusive, just like so much of the Kryptonian technology he'd encountered before. He didn't have a choice though, Kryptonian tech was the only thing that could send it back to the Phantom Zone.

The only Kryptonian tech he had at the moment was a blue crystal shield no bigger than the palm of his hand, the crest of the House of El emblazoned in an irregular pentagon. The crest was a winding curve, which looked a lot like the letter 'S'.

Clark approached the phantom, knowing with _absolute_ certainty that he kept his footsteps quiet. Somehow, it still noticed his presence. Its head turned toward him for a brief moment, then it fled. It streaked through the air at an alarming speed.

Clark zoomed after it. He'd outraced bullets before, this phantom wasn't going to get away.

The chase led to the forest out of town. Clark needed to be more careful with his footing, but he still kept pace and closed in.

If he leaped, he'd reach it. Now, just a little bi-

"Agh!" He yelled. His speed dwindled and he tripped, falling clumsily to the ground. What had happened? He groaned, writhing in the grass in pain. His blood felt hot, burning like acid as it flowed through his veins. Each breath felt like needles stabbing his throat.

Only one thing could cause this kind of pain. Kryptonite. But kryptonite? Here, in the middle of Colorado? Where had it come from?

He didn't have any time to think about it, the phantom had noticed that he'd stopped chasing after it. It turned back, and with Clark's now sluggish senses, its speed was blindingly quick.

Clark could barely even muster the strength to crawl away, but he couldn't let the phantom possess him. The thought of the devastation it could wreak with his powers was nightmarish. The phantom wouldn't leave either, his body was far more durable than a human's, capable of surviving the possession indefinitely.

With a pained grimace, he used all of his remaining strength to raise the crystal. The phantom raced at him, flying too quickly at him to change its direction. Eager for his body maybe, if emotions like that even applied to the monster.

The moment the phantom collided with the crystal, the device emitted a blinding blue light, and the two vanished from the forest.

\\\\\\\\\

Clark landed hard on the ground, and tumbled, momentarily disoriented. Hitting the ground didn't stop his movement, he was still falling on a rocky slope.

His body bounced off the ground and tumbled, but it didn't even hurt. His strength had returned too, and he shoved an arm into the rock to halt his descent.

His red jacket was dirtied and ruined, and his jeans weren't in the best shape either. He frowned and looked around. The sun and sky were the right colors, and he still had his powers, so he wasn't in the Phantom Zone. He was still on Earth.

The only clues to _where_ was that he was currently on the side of a mountain, thousands of feet above a forest below.

Clark turned his attention back up, and took a sharp breath. The phantom, there were four now. How was that even possible?

That didn't matter, he had to focus on putting them back in the Zone. They were headed somewhere, ignoring him. Where were they going?

Clark looked to the distance, combined telescopic and X-ray vision allowed him to see through the trees to a location several miles away. There were people there. Loggers, it looked like, whose lives would be in danger if he didn't stop the phantoms.

With a burst of strength, he pushed off the mountainside and landed with a boom in the forest thousands of feet below. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he flashed between the trees. He needed to get there, fast, and he pushed himself to reach them before the phantoms.

It took him two seconds.

"Run! Get out of here, you're all in danger!" He yelled once he reached them. They stopped working, but didn't move. Shocked at his sudden appearance.

After a few moments, the first person to react was a middle-aged, heavyset man at the base of a nearby tree. He wore a yellow hardhat and blue overalls and had been directing a group of several other loggers who were holding chainsaws.

The man walked up to him. "Look kid, I don't know where you came from, but you can't just scare us like that in the middle of our work. We're safe. The whole area's already been scouted for Grimm, and we have a few huntsmen on watch just in case."

Grimm? Huntsman? What in the world was he talking about?

Damn it, Clark couldn't waste any time, he needed to get them safe. He'd already shown his face, but he'd have to accept that. He wouldn't let these people die to keep his secret.

He moved as fast as he could without hurting them, he'd have to carry the workers out to safety. Hopefully, far enough away that he'd be able to deal with the phantoms alone.

First was the man who'd approached him. At the speed Clark moved at, everything around him might as well have been frozen. Even the falling tree that another group had worked on before he'd arrived.

Clark went up to the first man and rotated his body sideways to carry more easily. He spotted a clearing about a mile away, and it took Clark a fraction of a second to bring him there. Starting with the closest ones, he brought more of them to the clearing.

But he wasn't fast enough, he'd only transported about twenty people when the phantoms arrived. A couple dozen people remained, and quickly realized the danger they were in. They ran in full panic. Seeing the black silhouettes of the phantoms flying down for them, they abandoned their equipment and sprinted to their vehicles.

"Grimm! Grimm!" Several of them screamed. Clark didn't know why, but at least it got everyone moving.

"No," he whispered to himself once he realized: there were only two phantoms here. Where had the other two gone?

He clenched his fists once the phantoms split paths. That would make it harder, but he could still stop them. He had to.

He raced to the further phantom. The loggers had been running to a white flatbed truck loaded with logs for cover, but Clark got to the vehicle first. He readied himself and pushed on the truck. A few logs fell off, but the truck skid until it lay between the phantom and the loggers. Hopefully, it would delay it long enough for Clark to deal with the other one, which was getting dangerously close to one of the workers. If it touched the logger, it would possess him.

He dashed away again, holding up the crystal to send the phantom back to the Zone. At full sprint, he slammed into it with the crystal.

It disappeared in a flash of blue light.

Clark had no time to celebrate before he returned to the truck he'd propelled, and repeated the process, using the crystal to capture the phantom.

He stopped, scanning the area for the final two. He pushed his vision to the utmost limit to thoroughly scour the area within several miles. But no luck, he couldn't see them anywhere.

Clark turned to the frightened workers, who were still cowering in fear behind the truck. A few of them were still rushing to other vehicles in order to escape.

He raised his hands, walking towards them and speaking calmly. "It's okay now, there aren't any more of those creatures nearby, but you should still leave. It might be dangerous."

He pointed in the direction of the other loggers. "Some of your people are in a field about a mile in that direction. Now, I'm sorry, but I need to go."

He ran off, heading to the nearest town. If the phantoms weren't nearby, they must have found people to possess. According to Jor-El, it would be similar to how Zod had used Lex as a vessel. Lex had gained Kryptonian abilities even more powerful than Clark's when he'd been possessed, there was a chance these phantoms might alter their victims in the same way.

That was what he'd have to depend on to find them if they were possessing people. His X-ray vision wouldn't help him. He'd have to check the news for any strange disappearances or deaths. Like he had with the first phantom.

Clark bit his lip in frustration, if he'd just been careful and watched out for any kryptonite, he could have captured a phantom without any problem. He couldn't have known that there was kryptonite in Colorado, but that wasn't an excuse. The meteor shower last year had brought even more of it to Earth, and he'd known about obscure sources of kryptonite like the temple in China for years. The phantom must have been attracted to the town for a reason too, and kryptonite should have been one of the first things that had come to mind concerning aliens.

He'd been careless, and because of that, people would suffer.

It did little to reassure him when he realized that he'd now have a better idea of their locations. Before, they might have been scattered all over the world. Now, they were almost certainly within miles of the area.

And two people within that area would have their bodies invaded and controlled. Because of his mistake.

Clark's nails dug into his palm. So hard that even he felt pain from it. He wanted to chase after them, but he had no way of identifying them. Even if he did, they could kill their human hosts in their attempts to escape.

His only choice was to meet back up with Chloe and track down the phantoms like they had before.

He approached the town, and slowed down before he was visible. His speed dropped until he approached it while walking at a human pace. He'd shown his powers in front of the loggers, but he'd still keep them as much of a secret as he could.

He looked down at the crystal in his hand curiously, why had it sent him and several extra phantoms to a mountainside? Could the kryptonite have done that too? He remembered that his ship had been affected by small amounts of kryptonite, and the kryptonite key had actually destroyed it. The crystal must have malfunctioned too.

But why had it brought more than one phantom? Had the one he'd been chasing split somehow? Or was there some sort of resonance that had affected all of them? That could be useful in finding them, but he had no idea how to use it that way.

Besides, if it could be used like that, why hadn't Jor-El told him?

Clark shook his head. His biological father's motivations were still as much of a mystery as ever. Maybe withholding the information had been some sort of test for him to prove himself by finding the phantoms on his own.

He pushed those thoughts aside, he needed to call Chloe. She could help track down the phantom. He took out his phone, but there was no signal.

What? He was pretty close to the town now, how could he not get a signal? It seemed to be pretty much in the middle of nowhere, but it was a decent size.

It was surrounded by walls too. Where was he?

\\\\\\\\\

"I'm gonna be honest with you Oz, I think this is a load of bull." Qrow handed back the report of a Grimm attack on a logging company along the eastern edge of Vale. "From their descriptions, it sounds like they were attacked by Geists. Which is pretty rare." Qrow shrugged. "But it happens. The rest of it though . . ."

"Yes, I know what you mean," Ozpin replied. "These workers' accounts of a mysterious young man are quite hard to believe."

The headmaster picked up the files and began listing off their claims. "He appeared and disappeared at will, and it seems that he'd tried to bring them to a field a mile away for safety from the Grimm. In addition, he apparently _threw_ a truck full of logs at one of the Grimm."

Qrow nodded. "Uh-huh, I know, I read it. What must have happened is that someone came in and dealt with the Grimm, and whatever he did got exaggerated. Don't see why you needed to call me here."

"I did so because this tale may not be as exaggerated as you think. These workers had huntsmen protecting them, and they discovered that about twenty of the very confused workers _had_ been brought to a field a mile away, and a truck trailed by skid marks had been tipped over. Along with footprints that went deep into the forest."

Qrow blinked a couple times at that. "Okay . . . that's interesting. You want me to check it out?"

Ozpin sipped from his cup before answering. "Yes, I'd like you to investigate these claims, and find this young man. If there's even a kernel of truth in these tales, he could be a very useful asset against the Grimm. I'd also like it done as soon as possible, preferably before the second semester begins, so once you get down, you'll find a Bullhead with a pilot who already knows the location."

"Gotcha." Qrow left Ozpin's office and went down the elevator.

The report had mentioned that this mystery man had been over six feet tall with black hair and had worn a red jacket and jeans. Not very distinctive, but Qrow would have to work with it.

A Bullhead would get him near the area of the attack in a few hours, and Ozpin had called him in early in the morning, so he'd have the whole day to look for this guy.

Ozpin must _really_ want him, and if the report was telling the truth, then Qrow understood why.


	2. Meeting

As the Bullhead descended, Qrow had an overhead view of the town closest to the attack. Highwood, it was a fitting name considering how important the logging industry was here and the nearby mountains. From what he could see, the wooden walls encircling the town were in fairly good condition. A hell of a lot better than the deteriorating walls he'd sometimes seen when people got complacent about defending from Grimm.

Although the quality maintenance of these walls probably meant that their last Grimm attack had been fairly recent, not that they were just more cautious.

The pilot landed the Bullhead just outside the town, since there weren't any convenient landing sites within the walls.

"You can leave through that door, sir." The pilot pointed to Qrow's left. "I've been instructed to wait until you need further transportation, although if it takes longer than the day, I'll find a place to stay in town. You can contact me through my scroll." The pilot gave him his scroll number before returning to his tasks at the controls.

Qrow stepped out of the Bullhead and headed toward the walls. The ride from Beacon had only taken a few hours, so the sun shone brightly in the clear, eastern sky. It was still well before noon and fairly warm out, even though it wasn't spring yet.

The area around the town wasn't as densely forested as the surrounding wilderness, but that made sense. They'd probably harvested the trees closest to them first, and the trees for sustainable logging were more evenly spread out. He also gave the walls another quick once-over from the ground and was satisfied.

He reached the gate and tried to open them. They were locked.

"Hey, open up!" He yelled out. Seriously? They should have at least noticed the Bullhead and come down to let in visitors.

He heard someone rush down on wooden stairs that creaked with each step. A man appeared and added with a gruff voice. "Alright, alright. I'm coming."

Qrow saw the large, bearded man stomp up to the door and take out some keys. He unlocked the door, and waved him in.

The moment the huntsman had stepped in, the man spoke. "Name. ID. Reason for your visit." He said in a bored drawl.

"Qrow Branwen." He said and showed the man his scroll for identification, which he barely even glanced at. "I'm a huntsman, and I'm looking for someone."

The man grunted and went back up the wall.

Well, _that_ was someone who put a lot of effort into defending his town. Qrow followed him up, if the guy he was looking for had come by here, the people 'guarding' the wall would be the first to know.

"Hey, wait up, I got a few questions." Qrow directed to the man.

He didn't even slow down. "I'm in the middle of something, you can ask up here."

They entered a room near the top of the ten-meter-high wall. Another man was sitting inside at a round table with cards covering it. There was a lamp in the corner, although they weren't using it. The sunlight from the large window lit up the room pretty well and gave them a good view.

"Who's this?" The man inside asked, pointing at Qrow.

"A huntsman, says he's looking for someone and wants to ask a few questions." The one Qrow had followed up the stairs sat down at a chair and picked up his cards. "By the way, I'm Bob and this is Dave, ask away."

"Alright, this guy I'm looking for. He's supposed to be tall, black-haired, and blue-eyed. He might have been wearing a red jacket and jeans, he sound familiar?"

Dave answered. "Yeah, sounds like the guy who came up to the walls a couple days ago asking to be let in. He seemed real weird, but he's turned out to be alright."

"Weird? Weird how?" asked Qrow.

Dave laughed. "I'll tell you. He asked us where he was, and what kind of guy doesn't even know how he ends up somewhere? But it was like he didn't know anything. Told him this was Highwood, didn't ring any bells. So we tell him we're on the eastern edge of Vale, which still didn't clear up anythingfor him. Then we say, as a joke, that he's on the continent Sanus and he's still clueless. I swear, I wouldn't be surprised if he wouldn't have been able to tell us what planet he was on."

"Anyway, he gives up on asking where he is," continued Dave. "So he asks us for directions to where he wants to go. And he comes up with places I'd never heard of! Hey Bob, didn't he ask us how to get to Can uh-

"It was Can-siz, I think." Bob finished for him. "And someplace else, Um-air-cah or something."

"Yeah, that was it! We even brought him a couple maps, and I swear, the moment he saw them, he was so surprised that it looked like his eyes were about to pop out of his head!"

Okay . . . that certainly was weird. Was his mystery man from outside the Kingdoms or something? Who knew what kind of education the people there received? Even so, it was hard to believe that anyone could be that ignorant.

"Is he still in town?" asked Qrow.

Dave answered. "Yeah, I think so. You should probably ask Mary, I think Clark's staying at her inn."

"Clark? That his name?"

"Yeah, Clark Kent."

The huntsman asked for directions to the inn and left once he got them. The two men returned to their card game before he even passed through the door.

According to them, it would only take him about ten minutes to get to Mary's inn. To get there, he walked through the narrow streets that were ever-present through small towns like these. The size of the streets was dictated by the fact that they didn't really need cars here, since it didn't take long to walk to any other part of town.

Qrow checked his scroll, ten-fifteen in the morning. Yang was probably still asleep, nobody could get the trouble-maker up before noon on a school break. Ruby, sweet and kind niece that she was, probably wouldn't be that different. She almost certainly spent her late nights reading comic books or looking online for new weapon upgrades.

Still, that was preferable to fighting dangerous criminals. Qrow hoped that would end next semester, but for some reason he felt that it wouldn't.

He put his thoughts of his reckless nieces aside once he saw the inn. It was actually pretty colorful, painted in green, red, and yellow. Which was a nice change from the wooden brown or gray stone buildings surrounding it. From the sign, he could see that it was primarily a bar. The building wasn't a very large one, there couldn't have been many rooms up there, but he supposed the town probably didn't get many visitors.

Qrow walked in, the bar was empty, he supposed nobody would be drinking at this time. Even he didn't do so often. At least, when he wasn't counting the small sips from his flask.

"Hello?" He called out when he reached the counter. "Is anyone in?"

A blond woman in an apron came out from the back. "Yes, can I help you?' She asked with a pleasant smile. She seemed to be around Qrow's age, maybe a few years older.

"Yeah, I'm looking for Clark. I heard he was staying here, is he in?"

She shook her head. "Nope, I think he's at the library. He seems to spend almost all his time there, at least when he's not helping me."

"Helping you?"

"Oh, we made an arrangement when he first came in a couple days ago." She explained. "He came in without any money, so I offered to give him room and board as long as he helps around."

No money either, that was noteworthy. "So, what's he like?"

"Oh, he's been _such_ a great help." She said proudly. "Always ready to help lift something heavy or reach something from the top shelf, he even offered to help cook and clean. I said no to that, but I did let him fix some pipes. This place has never been running so smoothly."

Well, that was encouraging. Whoever this guy was, he seemed to be friendly. It might not take much to convince him to help in the fight against the Grimm.

"Anything else I should know about him? Have you noticed anything . . ." Qrow paused. "Off about him?"

"Well, he's a nice young man, but he usually keeps to himself." She replied with pity. "Don't know why, he seems awfully friendly."

"I'll keep that in mind." He said. "So where's the library?"

She gave him directions and asked a question of her own. "If you don't mind me asking, why are you looking for Clark? Is he in trouble with the law?" She added worriedly.

"No, no," reassured Qrow. "I'm just looking to make him an offer."

"To be a huntsman?"

"Maybe not a huntsman exactly, but I think we could use his help against the Grimm."

"I'd . . . prefer he not become one. I can tell he has good heart, it would be a terrible loss if he died fighting the Grimm."

Qrow nodded. "I'm sure it would, but I think that's his decision to make."

"Yes, I know." She sighed. "I'm pretty sure he'll say yes, if he thinks he can help, he will."

At that, Qrow thanked her for her help, and headed over to the library.

\\\\\\\\\

_Powdered Dust is more often used in power generation, as the large surface area of the granules allow for quick energy extraction. However, that is also why powdered Dust is far more volatile than the crystalline form of most natural varieties of Dust._

Clark continued reading the book on Dust, which was what this world called a substance that they used for power and weaponry. He stopped reading when he heard faint footsteps from the front of the building.

Normally he wouldn't have paid it any mind, but he could hear the clinking of metal, and the person seemed to be approaching him.

He looked through the bookshelves to the man coming for him. It was an older man in gray and black and wearing a red cloak. And he had a sword strapped to his waist.

Clark kept his head low on the book. The man didn't look hostile, but Clark couldn't be too careful. He slouched intentionally, but even while looking down at the book, he'd be able to react in time.

The man walked up to him. "Hey, those are some interesting books you've got there."

Clark looked up to him and scanned a few the titles of the impressive amount of books he had at the table. A Summary of World History. Grimm Basics. Dust and How to Use it. Most of this stuff would probably be common knowledge to a person in this world.

"Yeah, just catching up on the basics," answered Clark with a weak smile.

"Okay," the man paused. "I'm Crow spelled with a Q instead of a C, do you mind if I sit here?"

"Not at all." Clark said encouragingly.

Qrow sat down in front of him. "Thanks, mind if I ask you something?"

Clark closed the book and set it aside. "Not at all."

"I'm a huntsman, and I heard that some loggers in the area were attacked by Grimm a few days ago."

So he was a huntsman, one of the people who protected the humans of this world from Grimm. The sword on his side made sense.

He also seemed to think the phantoms had been Grimm. Which was understandable, the phantoms bore a resemblance to a variety of Grimm Clark had seen in these books.

"It was by a couple of Geists." Qrow continued. "Yet these guys were miraculously saved by a stranger who showed up screaming about danger. He saved them, killed the two Grimm, then disappeared. Weird thing is, about half of the workers were found a mile away, with no idea how they got there. According to the ones still in the forest, they'd vanished, one by one. Just like the stranger."

The man leaned forward. "They also said that he was tall, black-haired, and wearing a red jacket and jeans."

Damn it. Clark was even wearing the same outfit. Chloe would have shaken her head at such a mistake, but come on. How could he have known that someone would come looking for him so quickly? Besides, he liked these clothes, Mary had patched them up for him and they were some of the few things he had from home.

"Kid, I'm gonna cut to the chase." Qrow leaned forward. "Is what they said true? Do you have some sort of Semblance that lets you do that sort of stuff?"

"Sorry sir, I don't know what you're talking about." And for once, Clark was somewhat telling the truth. He didn't know what a Semblance was, but this man already knew too much. "Whatever happened during that Grimm attack is interesting, but I'm just a normal person." Clark added with a smile.

Qrow raised an eyebrow. "Hmph, you're a bad liar kid. Don't even try it."

The huntsman took out a flask and drank from it.

"You know, I had a friend." Qrow began. "Best person I ever knew, big heart, always with a bright smile on her face, and ready to help anyone in need. She was stubborn, brave, and smart. We were teammates ever since we studied at Beacon. Actually, she was team leader.

"I wasn't the nicest guy around back then. I'm still not, but I don't think I could ever have repaid her for what she did. Always willing to listen to my problems and offering advice, helping me realize I was the one who decided how to live my life. She always kept things light in the team and settled arguments before they got serious. She really helped set me straight, and actually made some progress with my sister too. Who was worse than even I was.

"After we graduated, she married my best friend. He'd already been married and had a kid with someone else, but she accepted that and loved his daughter just as much as the one they had together. That was just the type of person she was. She still went on missions, but she did her best to make up for it by showering her family with love when she was home."

"She died during one of those missions," Qrow said without warning, although Clark had guessed it from how he'd spoken in the past tense. "And left my two nieces motherless. Left her husband broken too, and it was years before he started to get back to himself. I tried to help, but her death hit me hard too."

"I'm sorry." Clark added, trying to show his sympathy. "She sounded like a wonderful person."

"Yeah, she was." Qrow sipped from his flask again. "You know why I'm telling you this?"

". . . No." Clark had wondered, but he felt that it was rude to point out how strange it was to start mourning one's dead friend in front of a random stranger. This man was hurting, he needed the support he could get.

"You see kid, I don't really think you get it." Qrow looked down at the books Clark had gathered. "My story's not that rare. Lots of people have lost loved ones to the Grimm. And even if they haven't, they're the reason people can only live behind walls or natural barriers like rivers and mountains."

"What I just told you is personal, and I sure as hell wouldn't want to share it with just anyone, but I don't think you'll understand otherwise. The headmaster of Beacon Academy wants you to meet with him and make an offer. If you really can do what those people said, then Remnant _needs_ people like you. So that there aren't any more tragedies like Summer."

Summer, so that had been the woman's name.

Clark wasn't sure what to do. This world was harsh, the people here, both humans and a race called faunus, were under constant threat of annihilation from monsters. He could help, he _would_ help, but that didn't mean he had to reveal his abilities to this man.

Beacon, that was one of the huntsmen schools wasn't it? Of course they'd want someone with his abilities.

"I want to," Clark answered. "I really do . . . but I have other responsibilities." The phantoms were still in the area. He'd been checking the news, but they hadn't made any moves. "And I also have to find a way to get back home."

"Home? Where's that?" Qrow asked curiously.

"It's . . . complicated."

"Okay . . . well, Headmaster Ozpin has some political pull. So I'm sure he could help you with that. Besides, you won't have to make any promises. Just meet with him, and if you say no, we won't push. Just know that if you say yes, it'll be worth it. The work won't be easy, but you'll be saving lives."

Normally, Clark wouldn't use his super-hearing to check if someone was lying, but he was in a strange world with someone he'd just met. Even though he seemed sincere, Clark had to make sure.

Qrow was telling the truth. His heartrate was steady, and Clark hadn't spotted any sweat or other signs of nervousness. He'd already scanned the area just in case this was some sort of trap, and it had been all clear.

Helping the people of this world. These Grimm were constantly attacking them and doing far more damage than the phantoms could. Brainiac had needed to put in considerable effort to prepare Lex's body for Zod, while these phantoms would be using normal people. Clark couldn't ignore them, but he couldn't just stay here waiting for them to make a move.

"You said this headmaster might help me get home, I'm going to need some high-tech stuff to do so." From what Clark had read, this world's technology was farther along than Earth's. No mention of traveling to other dimensions, but he needed to try. "Could he help me with that?"

Qrow's confusion was evident. "Um, sure. He's best friends with General Ironwood. The headmaster of Atlas Academy."

Atlas, that was the country with the most advanced technology. Clark had no idea how to use his crystal, so that was probably his best bet to get back home.

"Okay, I'll talk with him." Clark agreed. "When can I meet him?"

"Today, if we hurry." Qrow stood up and motioned for him to follow. "But first, I want to see what you can do."

\\\\\\\\\

Qrow leaned against a tree. "This is a good spot. Now show me what you're made of."

He'd brought the kid out into the forest, out of sight of the people in the town. Although Clark still looked around to check.

Qrow had been a bit surprised by how young he was. Clark had to be only a couple years older than Yang at most.

His new prospective ally nodded. "Right." He walked up to a nearby boulder a few meters across. He wrapped his arms around it.

The huntsman looked on curiously.

Clark lifted the boulder without any strain. He easily held it over his head, and turned to look towards Qrow. Who looked on with his mouth wide open.

"Is this enough?" He asked.

"Doesn't that feel the least bit heavy to you?"

He shrugged. He did it effortlessly, while holding a boulder above his head that weighed tons. "A bit," he answered before gently setting it back down in place.

"How did you do that? Strength Semblance?" Even if it was, what kind of semblance let him do things like _that_?!

"I don't know what that is. But I'm strong, I was . . . born this way." He added uncomfortably.

"So you actually _did_ throw the truck?"

The kid, the freakishly strong kid, nodded.

So the workers hadn't been exaggerating. Qrow had thought there might be another explanation, but Oz had been right to send him to find this guy as soon as possible.

"The workers also said you disappeared and reappeared. So what, you can teleport?" Qrow asked half-jokingly.

"I'm fast."

"How fast?"

Clark paused in thought. "It'll be easier to show you, do you have a gun on you? Since you fight Grimm?"

Qrow took out his weapon and tapped on it. "Yep, right here." With the push of a button, Harbinger mecha-shifted to its gun form.

"Could you shoot a few bullets in that direction?" Clark pointed behind Qrow, the opposite direction from him. "Preferably not too high."

"Sure." Qrow turned around and pressed the trigger, letting a few bullets fly loose into a tree a couple dozen feet away.

At least, they would have gone into the tree. Clark had suddenly appeared in front of him instead. Without even a blur, hell, Qrow could even spot _Ruby_ when she went turbo. How fast wasthis guy? He was way bigger than his niece, so Qrow should have at least seen something.

Clark lifted his hand, he was holding something in it.

Qrow gawked as he realized what. Those were his bullets! He looked back up, but there weren't any holes in the tree he'd aimed at, so this guy had actually intercepted them. Not pickpocketed his rounds or something.

"You . . ." He swallowed nervously. "You _caught_ my bullets?"

"Yeah." And of all things, he looked sheepish. Like he was embarrassed to show off.

Qrow looked down again at Clark's palm. A few of them were deformed.

He picked one up. "Did these bullets hit your hand?"

"A few, it's not easy to catch multiple in succession. I handled most of them though."

"Hold on, don't you feel anything? Even with aura, there should be some pain. After all, you were just hit by _bullets._ "

Clark looked away. "Um, that's another thing. I'm tough. Really tough. And I don't know what you mean by aura."

"What?" If Qrow hadn't just seen him lift a boulder with ease and chase down bullets, he'd have doubted him.

"Hold on a second," Qrow took out his scroll and handed it to him. "Keep this in your hand and hold it so I can see the screen."

Clark did so, and the kid wasn't lying, the scroll read that he had no aura. But maybe he just hadn't activated it yet.

He readied Harbinger. "Can you block this with your bare hands?" asked Qrow.

"Yep."

Qrow swung his weapon with a decent amount of strength, and watched Clark bring his left hand up to block it. The scroll still read no aura, even when the blade bounced off his palm with a loud _clang!_

Clark put his hand down and returned Qrow's scroll. "So, I think I've proven myself. Is there anything else you'd like me to do?"

Qrow looked him over and considered Clark's claims. Bulletproof skin, even without aura, fast enough to outrace and pluck speeding bullets out of the air, able to carry boulders with ease.

Just to make sure, he continued testing Clark. He couldn't afford to have been tricked. He couldn't see any way he could have faked his strength, but the speed might be exaggerated. Fast enough to appear in front of him definitely, and he had shown up with bullets in his hand, but that didn't definitely mean he was fast enough to go up and grab them.

For example, Ruby's friend Pyrrha had a polarity semblance. If Clark had something similar, maybe he'd actually pulled them into his hand too quickly for Qrow to spot.

But no, his speed was genuine. It took some time, but Qrow left some items out a decent way into the forest. He honestly hadn't even managed to time the kid properly when he went out and brought them back. He couldn't tap his scroll quickly enough.

The invulnerability was real too. They slowly escalated, having Clark punch the ground and smash boulders without a scratch on his fists. Qrow had been uncomfortable at the thought of shooting someone without aura point-blank, but it had certainly been convincing when he'd seen bullets ping off his bare chest. Even the rounds Qrow had brought with fire and electricity didn't affect him.

By the time Qrow had been satisfied, it was one in the afternoon. And he was hungry, so he announced "Okay, that's enough. Let's get back in town."

When Clark and Qrow returned to town, they ate at Mary's inn. She'd had some beef stew and freshly baked bread for them. Qrow paid for his, but Mary didn't charge Clark.

He'd wanted to do some tasks for her in return, but she'd insisted that he'd done enough for her these past couple days.

"So, where you from?" Qrow asked between spoonfuls. Mary had gone out back to restock and the two of them were alone.

Clark paused. "I don't think you'd believe me if I told you."

"Really? I think there's a lot I'd believe considering what I just saw you do."

"It's . . . more unbelievable than that."

Qrow raised an eyebrow. "Okay then, can you say why you need high tech to get back? What, did you grow up on a deserted island surrounded by super powerful Grimm that you need to fight your way through?" He added with a smirk.

"No," Clark said with a grin. "I'm pretty sure in my case a simple 'punch really hard' would be enough."

"Hmph, by the way, your abilities, have you always been like this?"

Clark nodded. "I was born this way. But, um, Mr. Branwen, can we hold off the questions for now? I'm not used to being so . . . open, and I'd prefer not to lie."

Qrow finished off his food and answered. "Sure kid. I need to make a call anyway. Why don't you pack up so we can go?"

\\\\\\\\\

Clark went upstairs and into the room he'd stayed in for the past couple of days. He'd already made the bed in the morning, and he started cleaning. Although it wouldn't take long since he didn't like to make a mess.

As he cleaned, he listened in on Qrow's call with his super-hearing.

_"The workers were right Ozpin, he's the real deal. Super-strength, speed, and bullets bounce off his skin without aura. I tested him."_

The voice on the phone, no it was a scroll, answered. _"You are certain? I'd considered the reports dubious as well. I'd expected something, but it wasn't to this extent."_

Clark had finished organizing the room and started packing the belongings he'd gotten in a bag. Which were just the spare clothes Mary had given him.

_"Oz, I just saw him toss a boulder and hand me the rounds I shot off at a tree before they hit. I also had him run out about half a mile and bring me back some stuff. He did it instantly."_

Clark hadn't even shown him his other powers yet. No heat vision, super-breath, his senses. Qrow seemed like he could be trusted, but they'd just met a few hours ago. And he still didn't know about this headmaster Ozpin, or the general he was friends with, who knew what they would try if they saw what else he could do?

They'd already had an idea about Clark's speed and strength. So he hadn't lost much by confirming those to them, but he'd carelessly shown off his invulnerability.

Qrow had first thought he'd used aura, which the huntsman had explained to him as what protected them and allowed them to fight Grimm. It also powered Semblances, which were special abilities that they had. That was useful information, if Clark had known that, he could have said his abilities were a sort of Semblance.

Qrow finished his call and Clark waited a bit longer before heading back down.

"You all set?" The older man asked as he descended the stairs.

"Yes." Honestly, all he'd had when coming to this world had been the clothes on his back, his phone, and the Kryptonian crystal. Now he also had a backpack with some extra clothes Mary had given him. It must have been strange that he had so little luggage.

"Wait! Wait!" Mary came out from behind the bar and handed him a large covered plastic bowl. "Here, take some stew with you."

"Sure. Thank you ma'am." He said as he accepted it.

"And Clark?"

"Yes?"

"Be safe, okay?" She said with a worried expression.

"Of course. Thank you for letting me stay here for the past few days."

"Oh, it was no big deal." She said with a wave of her hand. "You did more than your fair share of work."

They said their goodbyes, and Qrow brought him out to the Bullhead, the aircraft that the people of this world used. It was a dark gray, and clearly a military vehicle.

Qrow had called the pilot to tell them they were coming so they could leave quickly. Then, he showed Clark to a fridge where he could put the food Mary had given him. Qrow had said the flight would take a few hours, which would be plenty of time for Clark to ask some questions he still had about Remnant.

Although he dreaded the questions Qrow would no doubt have for him.


	3. Deal

After an hour into their flight, Clark had asked Qrow a great deal of questions about this world, Remnant.

Grimm, aura, dust, semblances, faunus, kingdoms. Clark had a lot to learn, but at least he now had a good grasp on the basics of this world. The books in the library had helped, but they often assumed that the reader already had some basic knowledge and wouldn't bother to explain certain topics. Talking with someone made it a lot easier.

The huntsman had been rather patient with him, giving him answers no matter how ignorant he must seem. Although there was no way to avoid the strange looks he gave him.

After Clark had finished asking questions, the huntsman began. "Okay Clark, I think _I_ deserve some explanations now."

This is what Clark had been afraid of. How much should he reveal? He'd already chosen to keep much of his powers hidden, but his nature and origin were different.

"That's fair." Clark hesitated. "First thing you should know is that . . . I'm not human."

"You're a faunus?"

He shook his head. "No, not that either."

"Then . . . what are you saying?"

"I'm an alien."

All that could be heard was the wind rushing outside the walls of the Bullhead.

"You're actually serious." Qrow stared at him. "You can do some pretty amazing things kid, but-

"I can prove it." Clark added. "Take some of my hair and test the DNA if you want."

Qrow narrowed his eyes. "Alright, if you're that confident, then we will. What else should I know?"

As the flight continued, Clark told him about where he came from. His best guess was that this world was in another dimension, and that his technology had malfunctioned and brought him here. He even showed him the Kryptonian crystal and explained about the dangers of the phantoms that the people of this world had mistaken for geists.

"And these phantoms, they're still out there?" Qrow asked.

"At least two, but they'll probably be laying low. To capture them, I'll have to wait for them to do something obvious." Clark's jaw clenched at that, but he had no other option. It wasn't as if he could just go up to people and start touching them with the crystal. Besides, if the phantoms saw him approach, they'd probably run away.

"If what you're saying is true, then you're from a world without Grimm, right?"

"Yes."

"Really, what's it like?" Qrow asked with mild curiosity.

Clark realized that the huntsman didn't believe him. Which was fair, even Clark had a hard time understanding the series of events that had brought him here.

"Well, the human population is in the billions. And unlike here, they've spread out and settled pretty much the whole planet."

Clark paused before adding. "As far as I can tell though, the people aren't much different from the ones here. They act the same, feel the same, think the same. Although we don't have aura."

"'We'?" Qrow narrowed his eyes. "I thought you said you were an alien, not human."

"I _am_ an alien." Clark insisted. "But I was raised by humans."

The situation was strange for Clark. He'd spent his whole life trying to hide the fact that he was a super-powered alien. He'd never thought he wouldn't be believed after he showed a few abilities.

Qrow didn't ask any more questions. Saying he wanted to mull over what Clark could do and what he told him.

It wasn't much longer before they approached Beacon in the late evening, and the red-hued sun lit up the stone towers magnificently. Clark hadn't exactly expected this when he'd heard about the school, but he was impressed. The school was built into a cliffside where several rivers gathered and went over the edge as waterfalls. Ornate statues and gardens decorated the courtyards.

"Wow." Clark looked out the window and stared. He eagerly examined it with telescopic vision.

"Yep, that's Beacon. You can't help being impressed the first time you see it." Qrow told him.

"And there are more schools like this around the world? Training people to fight the Grimm?"

"Three more with the same level of prestige, one in each kingdom." Qrow answered. "There are plenty more prep schools that people go in as kids though."

The pilot landed the Bullhead and the two of them got off. As they did, Qrow's scroll rang.

He answered it. "Yeah, Oz, I'm here with the kid. The Bullhead just dropped us off."

With super-hearing, Clark listened to the headmaster's response. "Good, however, there is still some time before James arrives. Considering this young man's abilities, I thought it prudent to inform our ally."

"Okay, so how long until he arrives?"

"Perhaps an hour or so."

"So what, we just wait around till he gets here?"

"If you wish, yes." Ozpin replied. "Although perhaps he would enjoy becoming more familiar with the academy."

"Gotcha, call us when he's here."

"I shall."

Qrow hung up and explained to him that they would wait for someone else to arrive.

"Come on." He waved him over before taking a sip from his flask. "Let's see how good my memory of the place is."

\\\\\\\\\

Ironwood stepped out of the elevator and into Ozpin's office. Glynda was present as well, since she was the only other staff member at Beacon who was part of Ozpin's circle.

"Ozpin, it's good to see you again after so long." He went up to him with a wide smile and they shook hands.

"Glynda." He gave her a friendly nod, which she returned.

"Hello old friend," said Ozpin. "I'm pleased that you managed to arrive so quickly."

"Well, I'd actually planned to come regardless after the second semester started."

"Oh? And why is that?"

Ironwood looked at him in surprise. "You can't be serious Ozpin. Torchwick is bad enough, but he's not much more than a common criminal. But the dust he's stealing? And the fact that he's now working with the White Fang? The people of Vale need my help."

"And is there any reason why you could not offer your aid from Atlas? After all, you have many responsibilities as both general and headmaster."

"The Atlesian army needs my leadership, and Vale's council can trust me to provide security for the Vytal Festival."

"James," said Glynda. "Did you just say your _army_?"

"How else will we show these terrorists that the people of Vale won't stand for their wanton crimes? When they see my airships, they'll know that their actions will no longer be tolerated, and the people of Vale will know that they're safe."

Ozpin sighed. "I'd hoped that by now you'd have realized that the heavy-handed approach isn't always the best one."

"I know that subtlety has its place Ozpin, but this requires force."

Glynda stepped in between the two of them. "Enough, I know you two well enough that this will go on for far too long. We can discuss this later, for now, we have a new ally to consider."

"Very well, we'll talk about this at another time." agreed Ironwood. "This young man, are you sure he can do what Qrow says he can? Qrow is good at what he does, but he does like his drink."

"Qrow knows better than to indulge himself on missions," answered Ozpin. "He's thoroughly tested this man's abilities. However, you can do so yourself if you're not satisfied, as he should be arriving shortly."

At those words, the elevator dinged and opened up. Qrow entered, followed by a young man in a red jacket and jeans. He looked around at the machinery in Ozpin's rather large office, many people did so when they first saw it. Then, his eyes traveled to the three seated at the desk. Briefly glancing at each before forming eye contact with Ozpin.

"Greetings Mr. Kent," Ozpin began. "I am Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon. My colleague here is Ms. Goodwitch, a teacher at this school, and this is General Ironwood of Atlas."

"Nice to meet you." Ironwood stepped up to shake his hand. The young man had a firm grip, and he could tell that there was strength there. But to the extent Qrow had reported? That still remained to be seen.

"Your arm . . ." Kent looked down at Ironwood's hand in realization.

"Hm? Yes, it's prosthetic," Ironwood took off his glove to show him.

"Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare."

"It's fine young man." Ironwood waved his apology away with a slight smile to show he wasn't offended.

Ozpin spoke. "Now, Mr. Kent, Qrow here says you can do some incredible things. Would you be willing to use your gifts to assist us?"

"That depends, what do you need assistance with?"

"Why, I thought it obvious. I have no doubt that someone like you could kill Grimm in droves and save many."

The young man shifted, almost as if he was _uncomfortable_ at the thought. "These Grimm, are you sure that they're actually soulless? Isn't there a way to save people without killing the animals attacking them?"

Ironwood noticed that his confusion was mirrored by Glynda and Ozpin. Qrow, however, didn't seemed surprised in the slightest.

"Grimm are no mere animals," said Ozpin. "They're soulless, they lack even the potential for aura, and their only instincts are to kill humans. Even in captivity they die, the only way to stop them is to kill them. Otherwise they'll attack innocent people."

"According to Clark here," Qrow patted the young man's shoulder. "He comes from a very _very_ weird place. Wasn't raised in any of the kingdoms at least, so he doesn't know much."

"And where would this place be?" asked Ozpin.

"I'm not from Remnant," Kent said. "To be frank, I'm an alien from another dimension. And I have proof."

Ironwood was the first to respond, but instead of to the young man, he looked to the huntsman beside him. "Qrow, is this some sort of joke? Because if so-

"Hold your horses Jimmy," interrupted Qrow. "He didn't tell me until the Bullhead ride here. He can do some pretty amazing things, but I don't really believe his story either. He says he has proof though, let's hear him out at least."

"Very well," agreed Ozpin.

"You can't seriously be considering this." Ironwood turned to his old friend. "He's obviously insane."

"I'm inclined to agree headmaster," Glynda added. "It's a very far-fetched story."

"Excuse me, I'm right here." The young man said. "And I'm not crazy. If you test my hair, you'll find I'm not human or a faunus. And I have a piece of the alien technology which brought me here, you can let your scientists examine it if you want." He held up a shield-shaped crystal with a strange S on it.

"I think I've heard enough," answered Ironwood. "This is a waste of time."

"Wait." The young man disappeared. The next instant, he was by the elevator. "At the very least-

He reappeared in the spot he'd last stood. "My abilities are real. I'm bulletproof, even without the aura you people use. I can lift cars and outrun bullets without semblances. Don't you at least want my DNA to find out how I can do that? What you find will validate my story."

Ironwood's eyes were wide in shock, and he saw that Glynda's were as well. There were some who could increase their speed with semblances, Specialist Schnee came to mind, but this level of speed was astonishing.

Ozpin, damn him, was still calm. Although even his unflappability was tested, as his eyebrows were slightly raised.

Meanwhile, Qrow displayed a smug smile as he patted the young man's shoulder. "Yep, that's what the kid can do. By the way Clark, didn't you want to ask Ironwood something?"

"Yes. Sir, I'll need your help getting home." Kent said. "This world has more advanced technology than the one I'm from, so I'd hoped that you might have ways for travelling to other dimensions."

"We have no such technology." Ironwood answered. "And it seems rather strange that our technology would be more advanced than your homeworld's."

"I live on a world of humans, sir. My biological parents sent me there after my birth world was destroyed."

"That's a rather elaborate story."

The young man sighed. "I know how it sounds, but it's true."

"Supposing it was, why not use your own device to return home?" asked Ozpin.

"It brought me here when it malfunctioned." Kent explained. "I'm not familiar with how to use it or how it works, so I can't depend on it yet to bring me home. Is there really no way you know to travel between dimensions? Does magic exist here?"

"You believe magic exists?"

Kent bit his lip, and answered. "I know how this makes me sound, but yes. Back in my world, I've encountered people who use magic."

"Actually, I _do_ possess some magical knowledge that may prove useful."

"Really, great!" Relief filled the young man's face.

Ironwood glared at Ozpin. A belief in magic didn't prove that Kent was sane. From the looks on Qrow and Glynda, they didn't understand Ozpin's reveal of magic either. What was he thinking?

"Um, before that," Kent said. "You should know something. There are creatures here from my world, dangerous ones that only I can deal with. I'm going to need up-to-date news of the area I arrived in, where those loggers were, to find them. I'm not familiar with Remnant either, and I'll need time to learn about this world."

"Then I believe I can offer further assistance," answered Ozpin. "You can be given full access to our library, and a few teachers may be able to give you private lessons. As we're in the middle of a break, it shouldn't prove too inconvenient to them. You can also be provided news of Highwood and nearby towns."

He turned to Glynda. "Ms. Goodwitch, could you show Mr. Kent to one of our spare quarters? One meant for teachers, as it may be troublesome if the students spot him next semester."

"Understood. If you would follow me Mr. Kent." Glynda headed to the elevator.

"Thank you headmaster." The young man said before leaving. "I really am grateful."

\\\\\\\\\

The teacher's rooms were a few floors down from the top of the tower, so it wasn't long before Clark and the blond teacher exited the elevator.

"Excuse me," he asked. "I left my luggage down on the first floor, can you wait for a moment? I'll be quick."

"Down the hallway." She directed with a riding crop, and Clark couldn't help giving it a strange look.

"Thank you."

In a fraction of a second, he zoomed down to the kitchens where he'd stored Mary's stew and his backpack. It took him the same amount of time to go back up the stairs.

"Ready." To her, it must have seemed as if he'd vanished and reappeared with a backpack and a bowl.

"Very . . . impressive." She answered before going down the hall at a brisk pace. "Come, your room is this way."

Normally, he wouldn't have shown off like that. But these people doubted him, he needed to at least show that his powers were real. It would make it easier for them to accept the rest of the truth.

He'd thought the blunt approach would make him seem more certain and believable, rather than slowly leading up to it and seeming hesitant. But his confidence had just resulted in them thinking he was crazy.

Once they reached his room, she opened the door with a ph- a scroll, and they entered a fairly average living room. She explained that furniture was already provided, as was a TV. There was also a kitchen, small dining room, bathroom, and bedroom. It was the size of a decent apartment. The pantries were empty, but he'd be given money for food soon.

She continued to explain more specifics. "If you forget your scroll, you can unlock the door by inputting the code 9340. You will likely be informed tomorrow of when our teachers will be available for your lessons. You may visit the library tomorrow morning as well, just show the librarian your scroll to enter. If you need to contact one of us, I've already input myself, Headmaster Ozpin, and Qrow as contacts on your scroll. Do you have any further questions?"

She'd been pretty comprehensive about his living arrangements, so Clark only had one. "Do I have any neighbors?"

"No, we have more than enough rooms that the teachers are rather far apart from each other. Although I do ask that you refrain from making loud noises, such as music, as it may still disturb them."

He nodded. "Okay, just one more. What do you think of me? I know the general thinks I'm crazy, but what's your opinion?"

She crossed her arms. "I have seen some very strange things in my time, but your claims are _very_ hard to believe. You claim to be an alien, but even so you do not strike me as insane." She paused for a moment. "I trust Mr. Branwen's assessment of your abilities, and at the very least, your speed is genuine. Regardless, I believe you could do much good."

He smiled. "I won't disappoint you ma'am. And you'll see I'm telling the truth."

"I suppose." She still didn't believe him. "I shall be making my leave now, good night Mr. Kent."

"Good night ma'am."

Once she left, he unpacked his things. He'd already placed Mary's stew in the fridge, so he just neatly put his clothes in the drawers in the bedroom.

He went back to the kitchen, he wasn't hungry, he'd just done so out of a routine of getting three meals a day. He checked the time, it was about nine pm. He hadn't eaten since lunch around one, but he wasn't the least bit hungry.

He'd noticed that ever since he'd lost his powers briefly last year. After they'd returned, he didn't get hungry anymore, and whatever food he did eat didn't leave his body. He still liked the taste, but he felt guilty when eating, other people actually needed it after all. The only time he did so was to ward off suspicion.

He didn't really have much to do, so he turned on the TV. Out of curiosity, he looked for a news channel, a purple-haired woman was on screen, apparently it was Vale's local network.

"-beries have continued, along with more sightings of White Fang in the city. This is especially concerning as the Vytal Festival is only a few months away . . ."

It was similar to how the news was shared on Earth, but he lacked the context for a lot of the events. He turned it off soon after, and went to bed. Toiletries were already provided, so he was able to wash up before sleeping.

In bed, he held the crystal in his hand. "Jor-El, can you hear me?"

No response, though honestly that wasn't odd for his biological father. He looked the crystal over with his X-ray vision. No change. Its components were too complicated for him to understand, but he'd remembered it's internal structure.

It probably wouldn't get him home anytime soon. Even if Clark had been desperate enough to try to recreate the malfunction, he didn't have any kryptonite. The headmaster had said magic might help, and magic _had_ been involved with the stones which had formed the crystal seed for the Fortress. He didn't know whether magic here was the same as the magic back home, but it was his best hope.

He put the crystal on the drawer by his bedside, and looked up through the ceiling into the headmaster's office. The three of them were still up there, probably discussing him. The thought of listening in was tempting . . .

' _No, I've had enough of eavesdropping_.' Listening to the scroll calls had been bad enough, he wasn't going to disrespect the headmaster's hospitality by spying on him.

He tried his best to go to sleep. The nearby city was louder than the farm back home, but he managed to put his super-hearing under control.

**Author's Note:**

> To those who are curious, this story corresponds to early season 6 of Smallville. Updates are every Saturday. 
> 
> Constructive criticism is welcome.


End file.
